Means for connecting tubular articles



March 24, 1931. w. MERRILL MEANS FOR CONNECTING TUBULAR ARTICLES FiledJan. 30, 1929 INVENTOR Wfi/TNErMEW/P/LL IS AT ORNEY5 Patented Mar. 24,1931' UNITED STATES PATEN T; oFFiceI warmer 1mm, or Baooxmm, new maxApplication filed January so, me. Serial Io. gasses.

This invention relates in gsperal to means for connecting tubular mem rsto plugs or other articles adapted to have a portion thereof inserted inthe tubular members and is con- B! cerned more particularly with meansfor con nectmg tubular members to coupling plugs and sockets used inconnection with metallic scaffolding involving pipes or tubular membersin the place of wooden cross pieces and 10 uprights.

'members which is frequently objectionable in certain classes ofconstruction, particularly in scafiolding where it may be desired toclampwarious tubular members together at the places where the joints arelocated.

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide means forconnect g comparatively large tubular members to articles a portionof'which is adapted to be inserted into the tubular member, in such amanner that the connection between the two pieces will be of greatstrength and without the necessity of supplying additional parts orhaving connecting means that project beyond the surface of the tubularmember.

Another. objectof the invention is to provide connecting means of simpledesign which may be quickly and economically formed in the material ofthe parts to be connected together without weakening either and whichmeans may be easily and conveniently applied. I

A still further object is to provide connecting means of such designthat the interior of the connecting member may be made hollow or with apassage therethrough if it be de- In connecting tubular members tovarious 7 articles a portion of which may be, and preferably is,inserted into the tubular memberhere the tubu ar members are.

sired to transport fluids through the tubular members. i a l .For a fulldescription of the present invention reference may be had to thefollowing description and the accompanying draw- 111%}11 which: v

1g. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of two tubular membersillustrating a preferred form of the" resent invention as applied totubular mem ers to which a coupling plug is to be connected.

In the drawing the numerals 1- and 2 indicate two tubular memberswhichare to be connected together through themediumof a con ling plug 3a'preferred formof which 1s s own in t e drawing. The coupling plug 3 1spreferabl hollow and com rises two end portions 4 o slightly reducediameter as shown, thus formlng the shoulders 5 against which the endsof the tubular members 1 and 2 abut. The diameters of the end portions 4of the plug are such that theplugs fitsnugl into the ends of the tubularmembers Each of the portions 4 is provided with a plurality ofdepressions 6 distributed over the surface of the. plug in, a convenientmanner, such as illustrated mthe drawing, The depressions 6 ma be, andpreferably are, spherical or I cup-s aped in ameter. After-the portion 4of the plug 3 is inserted in the end of the tubular members thoseportions of the tubular members adj acent the depressions 6 are forcedinwardly so that the material of the tubular member isdis laced into thedepressions 6, as indicated will be appreciated that the depressions 6may assume a variety of forms and bedisform and of a convenient di-'tributed over the surface of the portions 4.- in

any desired manner; thus, for example, the

depressions may be made in the form ofa single circular seriesencircling the portions 4.

It has been found that with tubular members of the .compar'ativel largesize indicated in the drawing, t at is, aboult) twg inches in diameter,and having a mini depressions corresponding approximately to the numbershown, great enough longitudinal forces may be exerted upon the tubularmemhere 1 that the members will rupture before they will be pulledfromthe coupling plug 3. I am aware that the bristle-holders of paintbrushes and other objects have been con- 5 nected to various handles orsimilar parts by means of metallic ferrules which have been notched,punched or depressed so that the metal of the ferrule is forced into themate rialof the handle, but the present invention constitutes a decidedadvance over such prior art since it is adapted to be used in connectionwith tubular members'of large diameter and which are ordinarilysubjected to relatively large longitudinal forcesh As shown in theaccompanying drawing the amount of material depressed from the tubularmembers into the depressions 6 is such that a great longitudinal pullwould be necessary to shear off the punched portions 7 or force themoutof the depressions 6 and it has been found that the metal of thetubingor pipes used may rupture before the connecting member will beseparated therefrom. f In addition to providing great strength to. r;resist longitudinal pulls on the pipe members, the fact that independentcup-shaped recesses are provided in the plug member effectively preventsany tendency of one of the membrs to rotate relatively tothe other, andthe parts are, so firmly united that the pipe members themselves wouldbecome twisted before the connecting portions would, i be caused torotate upon each other.

Having thus illustrated and described thisspecific embodiment of myinvention, I do not wish to be understood as being-linnted tothe'details set forth for the construction and arrangement of parts maybe altered as the occasion requires, or the apparatus otherwise 40modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope ofthe invention as set forth in the ap ended claims. Whatisclaimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: A metallictubular structure comprising two tubular members of the same diameteradapted to be coupled together and a coupling plug of forged meta-lhaving a central portion of the same diameter as the tubular members andhaving two reduced portions of substantially the internal diameter ofsaid tubular members, said portions having independent cup-shapedrecesses or depressions therein and said tubular membershavingdepressions corresponding to said recesses and positively engagingthe latter, whereby the tubular members are coupled together to form aunit of uniform diameter.

WHITNEY MERRILL.

